8 things I learned from The Martian as a young entrepreneur

I have been the founder of a small startup called Bookaholic Library for more than 2.5 years and sometimes I think of being a young entrepreneur as staying in a planet isolated from the whole world. There may be loneliness, fatigue, scarce of resources, and above all, the dream of some days you will get back to earth.

I find the novel The Martian correlates with so much of what I have learned over the last few years being a startup kid.

Here are eight things I learned from this book, and hopefully these experiences can somehow help you in the future.

1. One thing at a time

There should be a reason why Mark repeatedly reminded himself of this sentence throughout most of the novel.

The biggest misconception about working effectively is being able to multi-task. If you try to do multiple things at once, in most cases, you will end up missing some important details or spending longer time than expected, resulting in a downfall in not only your productivity but also your overall team’s efficiency. Spreading your limited time, power, and resources over too many projects means that your quality of work will also be limited.

Instead, try to focus on only one thing or two and only move to other tasks when your current task is done.

2. Keep an eye on all the resources you have and try to manage costs effectively

The idea is when Mark was left behind, the first thing he did was to check everything he had and calculated how much time he had left, considering what things could be used, and for what reasons. He hoped he could survive until somebody came back and help him.

The same thing works for your business. There are many types of things that you have to pay for like office stuff, electricity bill, internet bill, and gasoline. These may seem trivial but once they add up, they could be a staggering sum for your company. Don’t let a miscalculation bankrupt your business.

3. You have to take a risk and get out of your comfort zone, go big or go home

Well, actually, in the movie, Mark did go big and he did go home, too. But that’s because going home was his target.

Mark wanted to go home and the only way to do so is to leave the comfort and safety of the Hab, traveling to Schiaperalli Crater 3,200 miles away, alone in discomfort. The cost of dissecting the MAV is that Mark can go faster and further to the space where his crew can pick him up but he could die there if they miss or he could even die if NASA made wrong calculation.

Well, there are more examples of going big in this film than in anything else, except for one thing: your business. You only can get what you want when you dare to do what you think you cannot do.

Take risks and get great, but don’t take them blindly, take educated risks instead.

4. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together

When Mark was on his own, he had been able to plant tree on mars – “a great leap for human” -something would never happen if he was not on his own. He made a legacy, bringing more information about Mars than any previous expedition made by human (in the sci-fi novel, of course!).

5. Others can help you but you are still the one who takes all the responsibility and face the difficulties

6. Whatever you do, be the best at it, know what you do

7. Only work with the best

8. Don’t afraid to try something new, don’t afraid to fail and never give up